Sunday, June 7, 2015

THE SCHOOLS AS MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS (HAWAII MASTER PLAN 2015?)

#NoWayESEA
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The  late Alexander Solzhenitsyn, famous Soviet dissident, noted writer, concentration camp (GULAG) survivor, issued an important warning September 11, 1973, when he said, in a speech:

“Coexistence on this tightly knit earth should be viewed as an existence not only without wars... but also without [government] telling us how to live, what to say, what to think, what to know, and what not to know.”

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THE SCHOOLS AS MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS
By Betsy Kraus 3D Researcher

UNTIL WE GET RID OF THE US. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ALL THE ACCOMPANYING ‘APPENDAGES” OF GOVERNMENT MEDDLING AND CONTROL, “BIG BROTHER” WILL BE IN CHARGE.


“Grantees will use funds under the Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program to carry out strategies designed to improve school safety and to promote students’ physical and mental health and well-being, nutrition education, healthy eating, and physical fitness. Grantees may support activities to prevent and reduce substance use, school violence (including teen dating violence), harassment, and bullying, as well as to strengthen family and community engagement in order to ensure a healthy and supportive school environment.” Page 33 of the
U. S. D E P A R T M E N T  O F  E D U C A T I O N  A Blueprint for Reform Accelerate achievement The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. March 2010.
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf

As you read the following information, recall the proposed education bills of Representative Kline, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Senator Patty Murray which are currently festering in Congress, and which echo the Department of Education’s call for “mental health and well-being” of students. Recall the “master” Hawaii Plan, just posted on this blog which states, among other things:

“From the point of view of the teacher, individualized instruction should provide for opportunities to diagnose the learning styles, and strengths and weaknesses of pupils; direct assistance by skilled counselors, psychologist, social workers and physicians will assist in accurate and meaningful diagnosis…” http://abcsofdumbdown.blogspot.com/2015/06/end-game-1969-2015.html

And as a “for Instance”, here is an excerpt on page 9 of Senator Murray’s bill, Strong Start for America’s Children Act: 
 
“Offers accessible comprehensive services for children that include, at a minimum screenings for vision, hearing, dental, health (including mental health), and development (including early literacy and math skill development) and referrals, and assistance obtaining services, when appropriate;”
 
Senator Lamar Alexander’s bill includes the program “Universal Design for Learning” which is based largely on the work of Marxist, Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky (Psychology) and the Behaviorist, Benjamin Bloom (Skinnerian Behaviorism).
 
Please read the following report to comprehend the full impact of “mental health” and “behaviorism” on our children and our communities found within its pages.  This summary is just a glimpse of what is entailed in this 179-page report entitled:
 
ADVANCING EDUCATION EFFECTIVENESS: INTERCONNECTING SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH AND SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT  
 
The stated purpose of the paper is as follows:
 
“Advancing Education Effectiveness: Interconnecting School Mental Health and Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Support clearly conveys the message that effective education is the primary goal and linking two important processes will be the strategy promoted to achieve this goal.  The Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) is described in the following chapters as the proposed mechanism that can effectively link School Mental Health (SMH) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in order to leverage the individual strengths of each of these processes and produce enhanced teaching and learning environments through their strategic linkage.” (Emphasis, Ed.) (Page v)
 
In other words it is the marriage of Behaviorism with Mental Health utilizing a systems framework in order to diagnose and treat your child.
 
The following statement makes it clear that is intended for all children, not just those with emotional or behavioral problems:
 
“This monograph is about improving the quality of life and outcomes for children and youth, especially those children who are at risk for or experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges.”
 
There is a list, a page and a half long, (pages iii, iv) of participating organizations which include the NEA and top major mental health and educational organizations in the U. S.
 
Their “Three Tier” outline for processing the student emphasizes data-based decision making and the implementation of evidence-based promotion and intervention.
 
Their aim of “community education” is a “shared agenda” including collaborations that move to “partnerships” with schools, mental health and other community systems. http://abcsofdumbdown.blogspot.com/2015/05/little-red-riding-hood.html
 
ARE YOU SENDING YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL TO BE MENTALLY AND BEHAVIORALLY DIAGNOSED AND ADJUSTED, OR WERE YOU HOPING THEY WOULD BE GAINING KNOWLEDGE?
 
Will your child belong to the following-referenced “Stakeholders” for continuous assessment?  
 
“All aspects of the work are guided by youth, families, school and community stakeholders with an emphasis on ongoing quality assessment and improvement.” (Page 7.)
 
On page 9, under Point 10 they say: “A locally controlled data system that is able to track, monitor and generate reports on student behavior and interventions was considered high priority…
 
“Student, staff and family perception data used to determine areas of improvement, i.e. Data used to assess progress toward outcomes (student, staff, families, district, community all have knowledge of impact), f. Results indicate positive effects (student well-being, organizational health, student development and academic achievement) and are shared with community on a regular basis”. (Emphasis, Ed.)
 
On page 20, it asks:  “Does outcome associated with practice align with stated need and intended outcome?”
 
WHO DECIDES THE STATED NEED AND INTENDED OUTCOME?  WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING LIKE COMMON CORE STANDARDS BEING FORCED DOWN THE THROATS OF OUR CHILDREN?
 
To get an idea of the “implementation” features, see the list starting on page 24.
 
On Page 34 we are informed that treatment is for “outside the school house” also. Wouldn’t that include home, work, recreation and everywhere else the student might be?
 
“Within this School Level Systems chapter, the organizational structures and features that are needed among the students, families, providers, educators, and administrators at the school level in order to effectively implement a multitiered framework that promotes productive and healthy students, both in and outside of the school-house door will be considered.” (Emphasis, Ed.)
 
For training, coaching, collecting data, screening the students, funding, etc., see Chapter 3.
 
Is the school mental health program to be everyone’s mental health program?
 
“Mental Health” is not just for students: “As we look back at the concept paper in light of today’s understanding, it is surprising to recognize that the idea of tiered interventions, an adaptation of a public health model, was just beginning to be widely acknowledged as a framework for behavioral services in both school based MH [mental health] and education.”  (Emphasis, Ed.) (Page 100)
 
Here are some states that were already involved with these programs at the time this paper was compiled: “…states currently include HA, IL, MD, MN, MO, MT, NH, NM, NC, OH, PA, SC, SD, UT, WV, and VT.” (Page 84)
 
The program evidently encompasses the workforce:  “Building and supporting an effective interconnected systems workforce, including pre-professional, continuing education, supervision, and coaching. (Page 83)

In regard to the above mental health initiative, take a look at the HORRENDOUS NEW SCOTTISH LAW:
 
"Under a new law in Scotland, parents will be reported to authorities for not giving a child enough “love, hope and spirituality,” according to a government health adviser who is helping craft rules for the law, which is scheduled to go into effect next year.” (Emphasis, Ed.)
 
“Bob Fraser said at a conference for childcare workers in Edinburgh last month that the “named person” portion of the Children and Young People Act is about ensuring “positive well-being” for all children not just for those identified as “in need.” (Emphasis, Ed.)
 
Do we think this can't happen in America?
To repeat the words of U. S. government blueprint for the Reorganization of the ESEA Act shown at the top of this report:

 “Grantees will use funds under the Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students program to carry out strategies designed to improve school safety and to promote students’ physical and mental health and well-being, nutrition education, healthy eating, and physical fitness.”  (Emphasis, Ed.)

 

UNTIL WE GET RID OF THE US. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ALL THE ACCOMPANYING ‘APPENDAGES” OF GOVERNMENT MEDDLING AND CONTROL, “BIG BROTHER” WILL BE IN CHARGE.